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New Tottenham
New Tottenham, fondly or scathingly referred to as Tot by most of its happy little residents, is one of the largest islands in the skies, second only to Guinesburg, which is second only to Little Burmingham, which makes Tot, in the mind of Tottians, a double-second. Geography Tot is approximately the size of Manhattan. The city's total area is 468.9 square miles (1,214 km2). 164.1 sq mi (425 km2). Climate Because of Tot's vertical distance from the surface, the weather on Tot is nearly always cool or cold (but because it is above the clouds, it will never snow.) Air pressure is significantly lower than what would be experienced on the surface, but Tier's inhabitants have adapted to the change over time. The change in air temperature and pressure comes as quite a shock to inexperienced tumblers, however; a great deal of training in simulated environments is required before travelling to the surface or to the oceans. Because Tot flies above the cloud shelf, there will never be clouds visible in the sky from Tot. However, pollution is visible, and can sometimes form into thin, long strings similar to stratus clouds. It should also be noted that, because Tot is above the cloud shelf, it will never rain in Tot. Demographics The population - if you can imagine it - is approximately three times that of Manhattan. The streets are unbearably crowded, and the city is built very definitively up... Businesses stack on top of businesses, homes on top of homes, walkways crisscross high above the thin streets, and even the tinitest buildings seem to have no less than six floors. (an estimated record high of 8,336,6973) The Authority, of course, doesn't like to dally on pesky nuances like overcrowding. They boast instead about the powerful science keeping the island afloat. Every young Tottian grows up knowing all about the team of powerful magic users working tirelessly around the clock to maintain perpetual fusion to power the hundreds of thousands of propellers along the island's base. And, yes, the goodly Authority boasts even that the process has greatly improved since that new batch of gryphons joined the team. Government The city is dominated by the governing body known as The Authority, which is largely corrupt and presents a very Big-Brother-like entity. The distribution of power in Tot is hugely disproportionate, with a tiny few controlling most of the city's wealth - governors, successful merchants, and guild leaders, primarily. Power in Tot rests with less than 5% of the population of Tot. Bouroughs Because Tot is constantly travelling, there is no North, South, East, or West sides of the island; it rotates as it moves. However, if it were to stay fixed permanently in one place, it would break down something like this: Dagenham: North. Borders West Egg, Cambridge, and East Egg. Lower class. West Egg: West. Borders Dagenham, Cambridge, and Little Gabbenhoff. Upper-middle class. Cambridge: Central. Borders all other areas. Working district; no class restrictions. East Egg: East. Borders Little Gabbenhoff, Cambridge, and Dagenham. Upper class. Little Gabbenhoff: South. Borders West Egg, Cambridge, and East Egg. Middle class. Why are West Egg and East Egg so named if there is no fixed West or East? They were thus named when New Tottenham was still on the ground, and kept their names after the city moved to the sky. Architecture To accomodate the crowds, the city is built in an upward fashion, with all buildings having at least 6 storeys, and several locations on Tot are also equipped with sky-rise walkways which criss-cross above the streets. However, at common locations such as Silver Lantern Lane, Hayle Market, The Bazaar, and the ZepLine stations, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds are common (making these locations fantastic spots for pick-pockets.) Culture and Contemporary Life See also: Culture 'The Guilds' At the head of all that happens in Tot is The Authority. The Authority is Tot's governing body, and is consequently the head of New Tottenham's police forces, the Acidine Guard and the Silverwing Society. The Silverwings handle predominantly the affairs of the sky, including battling Mist, Fish, and pirate ships, as well as patrolling incoming and outgoing ships to inspect cargo. The Acidine Guard, on the other hand, works double duty as the police and investigative force within Tot itself and also handles The Authority's business with the surface, including the recovery and development of ancient and new technologies. The Guiding Light is a worldwide organization which happens to have a branch in New Tottenham. The Guiding Light is seen as largely neutral ground, providing equal amounts of trouble for all organizations and for those who belong to no organizations alike. The Hand of Grace and the Black Lotus are another pair of guilds which exist worldwide and simply happen to have locations within New Tottenham. These two guilds are the source of an enormous percentage of the crime in Tot, and thus are prime targets for The Authority. The Carnival of Amgine is a Tottian guild that sprung to life five years ago. A group of anarchists and free thinkers, it travels around the city spreading it's ideals. It can be found in Harlaxton Heights most often. The members of the Carnival use vastly different methods, some of which are peaceful and some not so much. While not as troublesome as the Black Lotus or Hand of Grace, this group of extremists are closely watched by the Authority. 'Children & Family' Children are thought to come of age around the time they hit puberty. For human children, this is generally around 11 to 14 years of age. For gryphons, it is 3 to 4 years of age. For hertasi, it is at 18 to 25 years of age. When a child comes of age, he or she is expected to take on a craft or occupation in support of his or her family. In wealthy families, this is also the time that children are entered into society as available for potential marriage pairings, although most marriages, unless pre-arranged, do not take place for several years more. For further reading see: Population Control 'Women & Society' See: Gender Roles 'Sexuality in New Tottenham' While intercourse is largely encouraged, it is also a very private thing. It is understood that adults take part in sexual acts regularly, but especially among the upper class, it is not something often spoken about. Rather, it's expected that lewd acts be kept hush-hush. Especially because of the laws on population control, sexual intercourse between unmarried partners is considered taboo. To conceive out of wedlock severely limits one's future romantic opportunities. Prostitution, for this reason, is not only frowned upon, but is illegal. 'Racism & Speciesism' Like all places, Tot has majority and minority races, but race between humans is not a sensitive subject at all. The majority in Tot has a caucasian complexion with varying levels of tan, due to the island's constant position above the clouds. To have extremely pale skin is quite rare and considered exotic and attractive - usually a feat managed only by the upper class or by those who work entirely indoors. Other skin tones are of course present (in fact, common) and generally have roots in another city from another part of Tier. All human races are accepted and welcomed, with no discrimination. However, please keep in mind that Earth-specific locations do not exist on Tier, so terms like "Asian" would be incorrect here. Terms like "Middle-Eastern" would also be incorrect, as Tier's geography greatly differs from Earth's. See: Playable Species and Speciesism 'Food and Dining' Tottians eat vegetables, fruit, birds, fish... and on special occasion, you can even barter some beef or pork off of a merchant, for a price. See also: Agriculture and Trade 'Water Resources' Many magicians of all levels study water and air-based magics on the side, even if those are not the sort of functions they wish to ultimately perform. Why? Because there's good money in it! For any magician with wings or a ship, the sky is full of precipitation. One need only pinch at a cloud and separate the water element out. A full day spent cloud-pinching could buy a fancy dinner for four; a week could pay a month's rent. There are a fair few magicians whose actual career is in gathering water, but most use it as spare money on the side while they practice another occupation (often one in the air, which doesn't require them to set aside special time away from work to fly out and pinch.) Language The language in Tot can best be compared to British English in the Victorian age. The upper class speaks a strand of English we've named "toffy", which makes use of long vowel sounds and has a more proper sound, whereas the lower class is more commonly heard speaking what we've named "coggy", which is essentially cockney. You can read more about the accents and our own brand of Tottian slang here. Currency Tottian currency is referred to as Gal. Religion The question of religion has been purposefully left ambiguous on this site. The accepted canon word for "God" - being the singular entity, not the general term for a deity - is "Maker". The Guiding Light is the largest religious organization on New Tottenham. Education 'Schooling' As young children, the youths of Tot are expected to take part in official schooling, although no specific law exists to require such schooling. To attend school is often thought a privilege, so parents encourage their children's attendance rather firmly. The organization of classes varies largely depending on the school. In poorer areas, schools are made up of one-room schoolhouses with children of varying ages and levels of experience, being taught by minimally educated volunteers. Primary schools attached to the Thames School, however, are rigorously structured, follow specific lesson plans adhering to Thames' level of expectations, and organized according to age or knowledge. See: Dagenham School and Thames School of Medicine and Engineering 'Apprenticeship' When a child comes of age, he or she is expected to take an apprenticeship. Often children are apprenticed at home, learning the family trade, but it is not at all uncommon for them to seek an apprenticeship elsewhere, in the area of their interest. Apprentices are usually unpaid, though are sometimes allowed to sell their goods or services for a greatly reduced fee. In wealthier families, apprenticing children are commonly encouraged to continue with their schooling as well, and must learn to juggle work and education. Medicine Tot as a whole is full of grimy streets, unsanitary conditions, and malnourished bodies. It may come as a surprise that Tottians do not suffer more than they do. However, despite the horrendous conditions around them, the medical field in Tot is booming. The practice of medicine is quite advanced here, compared to the medicine of Victorian Earth: this world has a very advanced understanding of the human body and of genetics. Enough so that they are able to attach mechanical parts to nervous sinapses, to extract and replicate DNA, and to successfully create new forms of life from existing genetic material. To be a doctor in Tot takes a great deal of study and expertise, at a high cost... which may well explain the existence of shady practitioners such as the infamous ripper docs. Transportation 'ZepLine' The ZepLine is a stream of passenger zeppelins which travel all day, every day around the island of New Tottenham, from Dagenham to West Egg and back again. Zeppelins leave, on the regular, approximately every 15 minutes, but private service can be reserved exactly when you need it for the very wealthy. 'The Clockwheel Rail Line' A metal rail runs along several of Tot's main streets. The rail is elevated about three inches, is a foot wide, and is set in the top with deep divots. At the front and center of the contraption that rides the rail is a massive wheel with large gear teeth that fit nicely into those divots. This wheel is surrounded by the clockwork engine designed to give the conductor control over the speed of the vehicle. Said conductor stands to one side of the wheel with an eye on the road, a hand on the controls and another on the steam whistle. To complete the ensemble, of course, this clockwork must be steam powered. A magical heating unit vaporizes water to turn the turbines that run the clockwork that spins the wheel. Affixed behind the wheel and conductor is a cabin generally fifteen feet in length with benches and railings to hold. At the rear of this cabin the Clockwheel has a smaller wheel and a place where it "latches" beneath the three inch gap provided by the rail. Some few luxury Clockwheels exist, charging higher fees for smaller, but elegant and more comfortable cabins. Due to the nature of the design they travel along a set path only. Clockwheels stop at various points in the manner of a city buss. Since the conductor controls the speed the Clockwheel mustn't stop at an empty station. Or for that one guy the conductor hates. 'Crawlabouts' 'Crawlabouts' are the general name given to a number of clockwork carriages which bounce along the streets of Tot in every given direction. Because large beasts of burden simply do not fare well in Tot, crawlabouts are mechanically operated. The two most common forms of crawlabout are the typical carriage, which in every way resembles a Victorian-era horse-driven carriage, except that it contains a large, humming engine in back and a fifth wheel in front, and the spider-coach format: a stagecoach driven by a set of 12 mechanical, tri-jointed legs. Crawlabouts can be found hovering expectantly in the streets at all consumer-centric or high dollar locations in the city, most especially in the peak hours of traffic, and hired for a decent fee. However, an elite few also own their own private crawlabouts. For those wealthy few, drivers can be found for hire at any inn in the city. 'Striders' For those not willing to pay such a high price for mechanical comforts, a strider or two can be purchased or rented at several locations throughout the city - most notably at inns and at Blemhook Kennel. These bony, bouncy birds are not exactly the most comfortable of rides (and certainly not the quietest), but they are extremely cheap. 'Inter-City Transportation' Tumbling vehicles, by necessity, are all enclosed, capsulated ships, rather than the open-topped airships that remain above the clouds at all times. Even the lowest end dipper ships are made of very tough materials to protect their passengers against acid rain (and as such, no dipper ship ever comes at a low price.) Because they are already small, enclosed, sturdy vehicles, some higher end dipper ships have the dual capabilities of movement in air and in water. These ships come equipped with wings that can double as fins and dual-use propellers. These transitional ships are what are most often used to traverse between sky and sea, for the pause at the water's surface to transition between one vehicle and another, especially when hauling cargo, is extremely dangerous. Military Crime Crime abounds. The city's criminals or low-level scofflaws far outweigh the available police figures: the Acidians and the Silverwings. Murder, theft, and the like are fairly common happenings in a city supporting more bodies than it has the space for, and Tot's officers and vigilantes can scarcely cover the larger happenings between them. Small crimes like pickpocketing, public drunkenness, public indecency, undocumented immigration, and prostitution go largely unnoticed. See: Drugs and Alcohol Further Reading See: Tier, The Surface, Species, Islands of Tier, Island Locations, The Authority, Guilds Major and Minor, Occupations and Mist